Top 5 biggest CV mistakes

You might have all the right skills and experiences to land the job, but if you fall into the trap of making avoidable CV mistakes then you might find that your application won’t go as far as it should have.

Employers expect all applicants to make an effort with their CV’s, so check out our top 5 biggest CV mistakes below to make sure you give yourself the best possible chance of getting an interview.

Too much information
Including too much information that doesn’t relate to the role your applying for not only means that you’ll end up with a CV with more pages than necessary, by the employer is likely to miss any relevant bits of information as they try and quickly skim through paragraph after paragraph of information.

Make use of the job description to ensure that you’ve made a point of mentioning all of the skills and experiences that the employer mentions whilst keeping things short, sweet and to the point.

Links to inappropriate content
I’ve seen a huge rise in applicants including links to their social media accounts on CV’s recently, but if there’s a few dodgy photos or posts that you wouldn’t want an employer to see then it’s best to either give your account a spring clean or leave your profile link off your CV altogether.

By providing a link to this content, you’re pretty much inviting the employer to make a judgement on what they see on your social media accounts, so if you think there might even be a small chance that they won’t like what they see then it’s best not to include it.

Irrelevant skills
Employers only have a few moments to read through each CV, and nine times out of ten they’ll spend the majority of their time focusing on the information you’ve provided about your skills and experience to try and weed out any unsuitable candidates quickly.

Any skills that directly relate to the role and job spec should go straight to the top of the list, whilst any that might be transferrable should follow directly below. If they have absolutely no bearing on the job, either put them in a section headed ‘other skills’ are leave them off your CV entirely.

Personal statement focus
Too many personal profiles concentrate on what you want, rather than what you can actually offer the employer.

Although there’s no reason why you can’t mention that your hoping to upskill or further develop your career in your personal statement, don’t start reeling off any salary expectations, promotion opportunities or perks that you’re seeking in a new role.

Focus briefly on your skills, experience and what you can offer rather than what your seeking.

Poor proof reading
Relying on spell check to pick up any errors is a bad move as it often won’t pick up on poor grammar and might miss some errors completely.

For almost all jobs, a good standard of written English and the ability to spot mistakes is required, so take the time to proof read your CV several times before submitting it for consideration. If this isn’t one of your strong points, get a friend or family member to help you.

For more information on how to avoid CV mistakes or for expert advice on how to give your CV that star quality, click here to visit our free CV surgery.

Managing Director at Appointments, Emma has spent 15 years building up a stellar reputation for commercial recruitment excellence across a variety of industries and sectors. There’s no staffing challenge Emma hasn’t encountered and her insight into the recruitment landscape has assisted countless clients achieve their goals over the years.

Specialising in the legislative and procedural side of business operations and through her extensive knowledge and continual training, Emma has a wealth of legal and contractual recruitment knowledge to help advise and support organisations of any size and in any industry.